1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement for regulating the power output of resistive loads or electrical appliances, especially the cooking plates of electric ranges, which includes actuating elements for the switching on and preselection of power stages or steps for the load devices, relays for the supply of power, and incorporating an electronic control circuit for regulating the conductance of electrical power to the resistive loads.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the current state-of-the-technology, a considerable array of arrangements for regulating electrical power has already become known, especially for range-top cooking plates. For example, it has become known from the disclosure of German Laid-Open Patent Appln. No. 21 50 703, to position an array of power regulating arrangements within a single housing, and to employ a common pulse generator for the actuation of the electrical load.
From the disclosure of German Laid-Open Patent Appln. No. 15 65 498 there has also become known an arrangement for the regulating of power, in which a plurality of power regulators for range-top cooking plates are arranged on a common axis, and are in mechanical interconnection with a range timer. As a result thereof, the power regulation over the ohmic consumers is implemented in a mechanical mode.
Finally, from the disclosure of German Patent No. 28 48 824 there has become known an arrangement for regulating the power of cooking plates, in which regulators for two cooking locations are combined within a single housing, and wherein a common electrical control circuit is provided for both regulators.
In previous years, the requirements for such types of arrangements for regulating the power of cooking plates have continually changed, in that there is now present a demand for a wide range of variability in the capacity of conforming to the wishes of the individual employers for such arrangements; in essence, the manufacturers of cooking ranges. This is applicable, on the one hand, to the spatial arrangement of the individual power regulators among each other, as well as, on the other hand, also to the electronic control over the individual power regulators.